JRMC works to increase awareness of colorectal cancer

JRMC works to increase awareness of colorectal cancer

Lisa Beck of the South Central Center on Aging gets information from volunteer Elaine Bowden about the free cancer screening kits available in the front lobby of Jefferson Regional Medical Center. The kits will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Phyllis Stokes)

BY Phyllis StokesOF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

March is Colorectal Cancer Month, and Jefferson Regional Medical Center is doing its part to raise awareness of the disease.

On Wednesday, JRMC held a live presentation in the Henslee Conference Center on the benefits and importance of getting a regularly scheduled colonoscopy. Meanwhile free colon cancer screening kits are being offered in the hospital’s front lobby.

Kathy Marcussen, a registered nurse at the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care in Little Rock, and Lisa Beck from the South Central Center on Aging in Pine Bluff were on hand to present information and answer questions in the conference center.

“Our goal is to help health-care providers, hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and the general public improve the quality of health care,” Marcussen said.

Marcussen said one out of three Arkansans who are diagnosed with colon cancer die of the disease — the sixth highest colon-cancer mortality rate in the country.

“We’ve got to make some improvements,” she said.

Marcussen emphasized that colon cancer can be prevented with early detection and removal of polyps — a fleshy growth on the lining of the colon. Polyps are small growths but can increase in size and become cancerous, Marcussen said.

Adding that it takes 10 years from formation of a polyp to cancer, she said polyps can be painlessly removed before becoming an issue. Since polyps can return, she stressed the need for regularly scheduled procedures—every 10 years for most people.

Other recommendations included seeking out the proper type of doctor — a gastroenterologist who has lots of experience and adheres to best practices — and closely following all the doctor’s preparation instructions for accurate results.

Marcussen said starting procedures early is also a key factor. She encourages people to get a colonoscopy starting at the age of 50, unless there is a family history of polyps or colon cancer. However, she said African-Americans should start at the age of 45.

Lastly, she recommends sharing the learned information with someone else to get the word out.